Improvement in faucets



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Letters Patent No. 112,035, dated February 21, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN FAUCETS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part cf the same.

To all whom 'it may coneernf Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Hnnens, ot' Newark, in the county of Essex and State vot' N ew Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in (Jocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part ot' this specification, and in which- Figures l and 2 represent longitudinal sections ci' a cock constructed in accordance with my improvement; and A Figure 3 a diagram, showing, on a larger scale, the plate or surface on which the handle operates to open and close the valve of 'the cock.

Similar letters of reference indicateI corresponding parts.

My inventionccnsists in a novel means for opening or opening and closing the'valve ci' the cock, the saine.

comprising a loose handle or lever, formed with :recinical or rounded inner end, that is incased by a guard 6r hollow cap, and that bears on anindented plate or surface arranged over the stein ot' the valve, so that, on said handle or lever being adjusted to occupy a position in liuc with. the valve-stem, a spring connected with the valve closes the latter, the inner end of' the lever then entering a tapering recess in the plate to adinit of such action.

To open the valve the lever is slightlytippcd to one side, i-n any direction, causing the lever to ride out of the recess and to press down on the plate or surface over the valve-stein, thelever during such action resting against a fulcrum or stop formed by the guard or hollow ca;V

The plate or surface against which the cone acts may also be constructed with a locking-ridge, to hold 4the lever at its set when tipped tc open the valve, or

the general contour of the plate may be tapering from its recess as a center, so that the lever or handle, eX- cept it is purposely held back, will be returned to its normal position by the 'action of the spring in closing the valve.

Theinvention also includes a novel construction of cup-packing over thc valve-stein, and which lnakcs'a close joint alike under pressure being brought to bear upon it either from the inside or outside.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which shows the invention as applied to a basin-cock, although it is equally applicable to other cocks- A is the stand-pipe or inletnconncction, and

l the valve-box, having a bib, l), and iitted with a valve, C, opening downward, the stein c of which, that is iiuted to allow oi' the passage ot' the water, passes into an upper chamber, cl, in the valve-box, in which a spring, c, is arranged to lift upon the stein for the purpose oi' closing the` valve.

The stem c is protected against leakage, at its passage through the junction of the chamber d with the body of the valve-box, by a cup-packing, D, of India rubber or other suitable soft and exible material, arranged to cover the valve-ste1n as a cap, and to enter at its lower edge au annular recess, j;- in the base of the chamber d.

The upper end ot' .said packing lits within a cylindrical recess ina plate or cap, E, which is free to slide as a piston up and down within the chamber ll. Y

A cup-pack-in g thus arranged protects the cock from leakage past its valve-stem, not onlyas regards pressnre being brought to bear upon said packing from its inside, but also, as in some cocks for different purposes, is necessary against pressure of air or lfluid from its outside, and the same forms a close, curtain-like packing, capable ot' being flexed, and straightening again, without opening the joint` closed by it, in both the opening and closing moven1ent'ofthe valve. The said packing also, by its elasticity, acts as a spring to throw back or aid in throwing back the handle.

The plate E is made with a central tapering recess, s, in its outer surface, which surface is virtually the outer or upper end of the valve-stem, and which, when the cup-packing isdispensed with, may be such.

Arranged to iit in a free manner within this recess is an inverted conc, F, under cover of a guard or hol4 low cap, G, and attached to or forming the inner end ot' a loose handle or lever, F', which projects through an enlarged opening in the outer end oi' the cap.

When this lever and cone are adjusted to occupy a position iu line with the valve-stem, as shown in iig. l, the valve O is closed by the action ofthe spring e, and the entry of the cone E as a male center within the recesss, and by the pressure of the cone, through theaction of the spring up against a stop or Inner rim,m,

ot' the cap G, thc lever and cone are retained in suc-11 .position aga-inst being accident-ally tipped, thus keeping the valve closed.

To open the valve it is only necessary to slightly tip or tilt the lever F to one side, in any direction, `which may be done' by a suitable pressure of the thumb. lhis throws the cone F out of the tapering recess s, and onto or overa plain surface or ridge, n, on the plate E, which locks the lever in its tilted position, as shown in iig. 2. VIn such action the stop nz. acts as a fulcrumior the lever, and the cone, in riding ont of the recess s, bears on the plate E to open the valve. When it is required to close the valve again the lever F is struck or started 'back till the cone F -commences to enter the recess s, when the recoil ot the spring e completes the action and returns the levcr and cone to their normal position, shown in g. l.

'liie plain locking surface or ridge n ou the plate lt is dispensed with and the tapering recess s made more extended when the cock is required tobe wholly selfclosing under the action of the spring e, the cone F, or other suitably-shaped inner extremity yof the lever F in such case never wholly leaving the tapering rccess s, when said lever F is tipped or tiltedto open the valve, by lateral pressure or action ofthe cone on said recess. Thehand then is required to be heldon the lever to keep the valve open, and on releasing hold the cock becomes seliclosing.

It isnot necessary7 that the portion F should be literally a cone, but simply or preferably of a tapering construction, either in straight lines or curvedybut it will suiiee here to terlnt a cone, or the whole handle as a loose conical or tapering pointed lever iitted to enter a tapering recess inl the end of the valve or its stem. When the cock is disposed to occupy' other than a vertical position, then its parts or surfaces will lie in different positions to those here named. rl`he valve itself' may be of anyA suitable construction, as

also the spring Whichcloses it, and said spring, if desired, be differently arranged.

forth.

3. Theflexible cup-packing D over the outer end of' the valve-stem, in combination with theaunular recessfat the base of the chamber, inwhich said packing is arranged, substantially as speeilied.' Witnesses: WILLIAM H. H EDGES.

FRED. HAYNns,

under the combined action of a stop or fulcrum and? spring controlling the valve, essentially as herein set Y 

